Screen striker or agitator.



N0. 80,858. PATENTBD NOV. 21, 1905.

J. R. JOHNSON & G. E. COLLINS.

SCREEN STRIKER OR AGITATOR. APPLICATION FILED NOV. i2, 1904.

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

JOSEPH R. JOHNSON AND CHARLES E. COLLINS, OF EYERS GROVE, PENN- SYLVANIA. ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO GUSTAVE P. GEHRING, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed November 12, 1904:. Serial No. 232,456.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JosEPH R. J oHNsoN and CHARLES E. COLLINS, citizens of the United States, residing at Eyers Grove, in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Screen Strikers or Agitators, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates to improvements in screen strikers or agitators and the main object of our invention is the provision of a tapping apparatus to be operated simultaneously with the scouring or separating apparatus, whereby the sieve of the scourer or separator is tapped or struck lightly, so that the sieve is kept free from stones and straws or other foreign matter.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an improved construction of tapping apparatus to be used simultaneously with the scouring or separating mechanism, so as to be operably connected with the sieve thereof and keep a constant and uniform tapping upon the same, so that the stones and other foreign substances are caused to pass to one end of the sieve, so that the openings therein remain clear for the passage of grain, thus dispensing with scouring and cleaning and separating the grain a second time, as is now generally the case.

To attain these objects, our invention con sists of a screen striker or agitator of this character embodying novel features of construction and combination of parts substantially as disclosed herein.

In-the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a scourer or separator having our improved apparatus connected therewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail front of our improved scourer or separator. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, showing in dotted lines the tapping mechanism inthe position it assumes when operated upon by the cam. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section thereof.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the scouring-frame, above which is suitably located the sieve B, our mechanism C being operably connected by means of supports D and E.

Our ta ping mechanism consists substantially of the shaft 1, which is journaled in the supports D and E, carrying upon its outer end a pulley 2, which is operably connected tion by means of set-screws 7.

through the belt 3 to any one of the other mechanisms of the scourer or separator, so as to receive motion therefrom. On the supportE we provide abearing4 for the inner end of the shaft, the said support being provided with a slot, so that the bearing can be moved therein and securely fastened to the support. The support D is provided with the end 6, whereby the same may be lengthened or shortened and held in such adjustable posi- Secured to the inner end of the support E, by means of a plate 8, is a casing 9, the shaft 1 being adapted to pass through the elongated openings 10 of said casing. 'Adjustably mounted upon said shaft within the casing is the cam 11. This cam is adj ustably mounted on the shaft for the reason that with the adjustable bearings the shaft may be slid in either direction, and as the cam must always remain in the casing it must be so mounted as to be slid upon the shaft within the casing.

Secured in one end of the casing is a supporting plate or bracket 12 with the extended*end 13, said bracket being provided with an opening 14 centrally thereof and near one end. Mounted within said opening and fulcrumed at such pointis a trip-arm 15, whose lower end is adapted to be contacted by the cam and by such contact to move the lower 1 end inward and the upper end 16 outward, so that when the lower end is released from engagement with the cam the coil-spring 17, which has its ends connected to the upper end of the lever and to the upturned end, re spectively, will cause the upper end of the lever to move inward with a quick jerk. A

' weight can be used instead of a spring. The

upper end 16 of this lever is provided with an opening 18, in which is adjustably mounted a rod 19, carrying upon its opposite end the striking block or tapper 20, which is adapted to strike the sieve as the spring returns the upper end 17 of said tripping-arm. It will thus be seen that as the shaft is revolved the cam carried thereby will operate upon the tripping-lever, so as to move the tappingblock away from the sieve until the cam releases, at which time the coil-spring will quickly return the same and cause the tapper to give the sudden tap to the sieve. By the continuously revolving of the shaft a uniform and constant tapping motion is given the sieve, and as the sieve is slightly inclined all foreign substances will be caused to roll to the lower end and also prevent the openings in the sieve from being closed, while at the same time the grain by reason of its lightness is caused to more readily feed through the openings of the sieve.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is evident that we provide an apparatus of this character which is the embodiment of simplicity, durability, and inexpensiveness and which is thoroughly practical and efficient in use.

What we claim as new, and. desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with a grain scouring and separating machine, of a vertically-adjustable support connected to the machine and provided with a bearing in the upper end thereof, another support connected to the machine and carrying upon its upper end'a casing having an elongated opening therethrough, a shaft j ournaled in the upper end of the firstmentioned support and passing through the elongated opening of the casing, a cam adjustably mounted upon said shaft Within the casing, a trip-arm pivotally mounted inthe support carrying the casing and having one end projecting into the casing and adapted to be engaged by the cam, the other end prov J. L. REEoE, G. W. HENRIE. 

